Examining the Gender Productivity Gap among Farm Households in Mali

Singbo, A and Njuguna-Mungai, E and Yila, J O and Sissoko, K and Tabo, R (2020) Examining the Gender Productivity Gap among Farm Households in Mali. Journal of African Economies (TSI). pp. 1-34. ISSN 0963-8024

PDF - Published Version Download (507kB)

Abstract

AbstractThis paper decomposes the gender agricultural productivity gap and measures the factors that influence the gap between male and female agricultural plot managers in Mali. The Oaxaca–Blinder approach and the recentred influence function (RIF) decompositionmethodology are applied to a nationally representative survey of Mali. The results show that the agricultural productivity of female plot managers is 20.18%lower than that of male plot managers. Additionally, while more than half (56%) of the agricultural productivity gap is influenced by female-specific structural disadvantages, 44% of the gap is due to an endowment effect. Socioeconomic characteristics such as the educational level and age of the plot manager, environmental factors and agricultural production practices, i.e., the differential use of inputs (organic or inorganic fertiliser and improved seeds) and the use of hired female workers seem to affect the female-specific structural disadvantages. To reduce or close the gender productivity gap, the underlying causes of femalespecific structural disadvantages must be addressed to enable female farmers to obtain the same returns as men. Traditional means of addressing the gender gap, such as providing education for women in rural areas and facilitating rural women’ access to extension services and improved seeds, can mitigate the endowment deficit. This paper highlights the need to develop a better understanding of the factors influencing the structural disadvantages faced by female farmers inMali that could feed into the development ofmore effective policies to address the gender gap in agricultural productivity, improving productivity and gender equity and reducing poverty.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : East & Southern Africa Research Program : West & Central Africa
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Oaxaca–Blinder, Recentred influence function, Agricultural productivity, Gender gap, Mali
Subjects:	Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics Others > Gender Research Others > Mali
Depositing User:	Mr Arun S
Date Deposited:	10 Mar 2021 11:04
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2021 11:04
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11732
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejaa008
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	We would like to thank the editor John Hoddinott and two anonymous referees for their constructive and useful comments and suggestions.We also thank Bruno Larue for very helpful comments. Finally,we gratefully acknowledge financial support from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
Links:	Google Scholar

View Statistics

Actions (login required)

View Item